KNIGHT 
An  Eulogiura  on  Nathan  Smith  M.D. 


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AN 


EUL.OGIUM 


ON 


NATHAN  SMITH,  M.  D. 

LATE  PROFESSOR  OF 
THE  THEORY  AND  PRACTICE  OF  PHYSIC  AND  SURGERY, 

IN  THE 

MEDICAL  INSTITUTION  OF  YALE  COLLEGE; 
PRONOUNCED  AT  HIS  FUNERAI,, 


BY  J.  KNIGHT,  M.  D. 


PROFESSOR    OF    ANATOMY   AND    PHTSIOIOGT, 


NEW  HAVEN: 

PRINTED  BY  HEZEKIAH  HOWE. 
1830. 


JSTew  Haven,  Feb.  2, 1829. 
Prof.  Knight — Respected  Sir, 

We  take  pleasure  in  communicating  to  you,  the  annexed  resolution  of 
the  Medical  Class,  requesting  for  publication,  a  copy  of  your  eulogy  on  their 
late  instructor  and  your  associate,  Professor  Smith.  The  high  degree  of  grat- 
ification which  that  performance  afforded  them,  and  their  desire  to  preserve 
some  memorial  of  the  life  of  one  whose  loss  they  so  deeply  deplore,  and  whose 
memory  they  so  much  revere,  unite  in  prompting  to  this  request.  The  com- 
mittee beg  leave  to  unite  with  the  class,  in  a  tender  of  their  high  respect  and 
esteem.  J.  C.  Goodhue. 

H.  D.  BULKLEY-. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Medical  Class  at  their  Lecture  Room,  Jan.  31,  1829. 
Resolved,  That  Messrs.  J.  C.  Goodhue  and  H.  D.  Bulkley,  be  a  committee 
to  wait  on  Dr.  Knight  and  request  a  copy  of  his  eulogy  on  our  late  instructor, 
Prof.  Smith,  for  publication. 


JSTew  Haven,  Feb.  7,  1829. 

Gentlemen, 

Your  polite  note  of  the  2d  inst.  inclosing  a  vote  of  the  Medical  Class,  re- 
questing a  copy  of  the  eulogy  on  your  late  instructor,  Prof  Smith,  has  been 
received  and  considered.  Esteem  for  my  late  associate  and  friend  while  liv- 
ing, and  respect  for  his  memory  when  removed  from  us  by  death,  prompted  to 
the  preparation  of  the  discourse,  at  a  short  notice,  and  amidst  the  interruptions 
of  professional  employments.  The  same  respect,  as  well  as  a  desire  to  comply 
with  the  wishes  of  the  Medical  Class,  leads  me  to  consent  to  its  publication, 
with  little  opportunity  to  correct  its  errors,  or  to  supply  its  defects. 

Permit  me  to  express  the  hope  that  the  example  of  one  so  much  respected 
and  beloved  as  your  late  instructor,  may  lead  all  who  enter  upon  the  profession 
of  Medicine,  to  pursue  the  same  course,  of  laborious,  benevolent  exertion. 

Be  pleased  to  present  to  the  class  which  you  represent,  my  acknowledg- 
ments for  the  compliment  implied  in  their  request,  and  accept  for  yourselves 
assurances  of  the  esteem  of  your  instructor  and  friend. 

J.  Knight. 
Messrs.  J.  C.  Goodhue  and  H.  D-  Bulkley. 


EULOGIUM,  &c. 


Friends  and  Fellow  Citizens^ 

The  occasion  which  has  brought  us  together  is 
one  of  solemn  and  mournful  interest.  We  are  as- 
sembled to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the 
remains  of  one,  in  no  ordinary  degree,  useful  and 
beloved.  Why  one  so  beloved,  so  respected,  and 
so  useful,  should  be  removed,  when,  to  all  human 
view,  in  the  midst  of  his  usefulness,  is  one  of  those 
mysterious  dispensations  of  a  wise  providence, 
which  short-sighted  man  can  neither  fathom  nor 
explain.  It  becomes  us  to  be  thankful  to  the  Giver 
of  all  good,  that  he  raises  up  wise  and  good  men 
among  us ;  that  he  suffers  them  to  remain,  until  by 
their  example  they  excite,  and  by  their  instruc- 
tions, they  prepare  others  to  walk  in  their  steps : 
and  when  He  sees  fit  to  remove  them,  to  say  with 
humble  submission.  Thy  will,  O  God,  be  done. 

When  a  man,  who  has  been  widely  known  and 
beloved ;  who  has  exerted  an  extensive  and  benefi- 
cial influence  over  the  interests  of  an  important 
profession ;  who  by  the  exertion  of  skill,  assiduity 
and  benevolence,  has  acquired  the  aftections  of  a 
large  and  enlightened  community,  is  removed  by 
death,  public  opinion  requires,  and  inclination  dic^ 


tales,  lliat  some  testimonial  of  his  worth  should  be 
brought  forward,  by  those  who,  having  been  asso- 
ciated with  him,  are  supposed  to  know  him  best. 
This  duty,  with  respect  to  our  deceased  friend,  has 
been  assigned  to  me.  For  the  imperfections  of 
its  performance,  the  circumstances  in  which  it  is 
undertaken,  Avill  be  a  sufficient  apology. 

The  subject  of  these  remarks  was  the  son  of  re- 
spectable parents,  in  moderate  pecuniary  circum- 
stances, who  at  the  time  of  his  birth  resided  in 
Rehoboth,  Mass.  He  was  born  on  the  30th  Sept. 
1762.  While  he  was  yet  young,  the  family  remo- 
ved to  Chester,  Windsor  Co.  Vermont,  where  his 
parents  remained  until  their  death.  Of  his  early 
life  little  has  reached  us,  except  that  his  time  was 
spent,  in  acquiring  the  elements  of  education  at  the 
ordinary  country  schools,  and  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits on  his  father's  farm. 

Before  he  arrived  at  the  period  of  manhood,  in 
some  of  the  latter  years  of  the  rcvolut  ionary  war, 
he  joined  a  body  of  the  Vermont  militia,  which  was 
stationed  on  the  frontiers  of  that  state,  to  repel  the 
incursions  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  to  keep  them  in  check.  How  long  he  contin- 
ued in  this  service  is  not  known.  He  frequently 
alluded  to  the  hardships  and  privations  which  he 
endured,  while  encamped  in  what  was  then  a  wil- 
derness, with  few  of  the  necessaries,  and  none  of 
the  conveniences  of  life.  While  on  this  ex|)editiou 
he  was  shot  at,  and  narrowly  missed,  by  an  Indian 
lying  in  ambush.     These  privations  and  dangers. 


were  not  however  peculiar  to  him,  but  were  endur- 
ed in  common  with  many  thousands  of  others  of  the 
hardy  and  enterprising  inhabitants  of  our  frontier 
settlements,  during  that  perilous  period,  when  prop- 
erty and  life  were  exposed  to  all  the  dangers  of 
savage  warfare.  While  residing  at  his  father's,  a 
portion  of  his  time  was  occupied  with  what  was 
then  almost  a  necessary  employment ;  securing  the 
game,  and  destroying  the  beasts  of  prey  of  the 
neighboring  forests.  In  these  pursuits,  small  par- 
ties of  young  men  were  often  absent  from  home  for 
many  days.  On  one  of  these  excursions,  he  was 
left  by  his  companions,  in  mid  winter,  at  a  distance 
from  home,  with  a  slender  stock  of  provisions. 
While  waiting  for  their  return,  his  supplies  were 
exhausted,  and  what  was  more  unfortunate,  a  sud- 
den thaw  came  on,  which  softening  the  surface  of 
the  snow,  then  many  feet  in  depth,  rendered  trav- 
elling impracticable.  Here  he  was  detained  seve- 
ral  days,  subsisting  entirely  on  the  unsalted  flesh  of 
some  game  which  he  had  taken.  By  the  time  the 
impediments  to  travelling  were  removed,  he  found 
himself  afllicted,  in  consequence  of  exposure  and 
improper  food,  with  a  severe  and  distressing  dis- 
ease. With  difliculty  he  reached  the  nearest 
house,  where,  and  at  his  father's,  he  was,  for  many 
months,  confined  by  sickness.  Thus  his  life  passed 
on,  in  a  course  of  laborious  industry,  and  of  hardy 
enterprize,  until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  years.  What  his  mental  acquirements  at  this 
period  were,  we  have  no  means  of  judging.     And. 


although  from  the  limited  means  of  instruction 
which  he  enjoyed,  we  cannot  rate  them  high,  yet, 
from  the  fact  that  he  was  engaged  during  some  of 
the  winter  months,  as  teacher  of  a  school  in  the  vi- 
cinity, we  are  warranted  in  the  belief,  that  they 
were  more  than  were  ordinarily  obtained  by  the 
young  men  of  the  period,  in  that  country. 

At  this  time  an  event  occurred,  which  gave  a 
new  direction  to  his  thoughts  and  his  life.  This 
event,  trivial  in  its  nature,  and  apparently  casual, 
led  him  to  the  study,  and  finally  to  the  practice,  of 
a  profession,  which  for  more  than  forty  years,  he 
adorned  and  improved.  The  events  to  be  stated, 
add  one  more  to  the  many  well  known  cases,  which 
shew,  by  how  small  and  apparently  inoperative 
means,  a  wise  overruling  Providence,  controls  and 
directs  the  affairs  both  of  individuals  and  of  nations. 
Mr.  Smith  was  present,  almost  without  design  on  his 
part,  at  a  surgical  operation  performed  by  Dr.  Jo- 
siah  Goodhue,  then,  and  for  years  afterwards,  the 
most  celebrated  surgeon  in  that  region.  By  wit- 
nessing this  operation,  his  attention  was  directed 
to  the  structure  of  the  human  body,  and  his  curios- 
ity excited  to  learn  more  of  a  subject  at  once  so 
novel  and  interesting.  Shortly  after,  he  mentioned 
to  Dr.  Goodhue  his  desire  to  engage  in  the  study 
of  medicine,  and  requested  permission  to  enter  his 
office  as  a  student.  The  Doctor  judiciously  inquir- 
ed of  him,  for  they  were  almost  strangers  to  each 
other,  what  had  been  his  previous  course  of  life,  and 
what  were  his  acquirements.     The  reply  was,  un- 


til  last  night,  I  have  labored  with  my  hands  during 
my  life.  Dr.  Goodhue  told  him  kindly,  that  he  was 
not  in  the  habit  of  receiving  young  men  as  stu- 
dents, who  had  not  received  some  preparatory  edu- 
cation :  giving  him  as  the  reason  for  this,  that  the 
profession  of  medicine  was  in  a  low  state  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  and  that  to  elevate  it  in  real- 
ity and  in  public  estimation,  young  men  properly 
qualified  only,  should  be  encouraged  to  engage  in 
it.  In  conclusion,  he  stated  to  Mr.  Smith,  that  if 
he  would  place  himself  under  the  tuition  of  some 
person  capable  of  instructing  him,  and  acquire  so 
much  literary  information,  as  would  enable  him  to 
enter  the  freshman  class  of  Harvard  College,  he 
would  then  receive  him  as  a  student.  This  judi- 
cious advice  was  happily  followed.  He  selected 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Whiting  of  Rockingham,  Vt.  as  his 
instructor.  With  him  he  remained  until  the  re- 
quired condition  was  fulfilled.  For  three  years  af- 
ter this  he  was  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Goodhue,  then  re- 
siding in  Putney,  Vt.  The  assiduity  and  success 
with  which  he  pursued  his  professional  studies,  are 
fully  attested  by  his  instructor,  who  always  re- 
garded him,  with  that  esteem  and  affection,  which 
can  be  excited  in  the  mind  of  an  instructor,  only  by 
diligence  and  good  conduct  on  the  part  of  the  pu- 
pil. These  kind  feelings  were  fully  reciprocated 
by  Dr.  Smith.  He  always  spoke  of  this,  his  early 
friend,  in  the  warmest  terms  of  esteem  and  grati- 
tude, as  well  for  his  early  advice,  as  for  his  subse- 
quent instruction,   and  for   his  countenance  and 


support  after  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. That  respectable  gentleman  still  lives, 
and  will  mourn  at  the  tidings  of  the  death  of  a  fa- 
vorite pupil  and  devoted  friend. 

Dr.  Smith  commenced  the  active  duties  of  his 
profession  at  Cornish  in  N.  H.  After  practising, 
with  what  reputation  or  success  we  are  not  fully  in- 
formed, for  two  or  three  years,  he  visited  Harvard 
University,  for  the  purpose  of  availing  himself  of  the 
advantages  which  that  celebrated  institution  afford- 
ed. Here,  he  attended  the  several  courses  of  Lec- 
tures on  Medicine  and  Surgery,  as  well  as  those  on 
Natural  Philosophy,  and  other  means  of  instruc- 
tion, to  which  persons,  not  members  of  the  academ- 
ical department,  could  gain  admission.  At  the 
close  of  the  term  at  Cambridge,  he  read  an  inau- 
gural dissertation  on  'The  circulation  of  the  blood,* 
which  was  received  with  high  approbation,  and,  at 
the  request  of  the  faculty,  was  published.  Having 
received  the  degree  of  Batchelor  of  Medicine  from 
this  University,  he  returned  to  Cornish,  and  enga- 
ged anew,  with  increased  information  and  enlarged 
means  of  usefulness,  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

At  this  period  the  medical  profession,  in  that  vi- 
cinity, was  at  a  low  ebb.  The  country  itself,  was 
to  a  great  extent  a  wilderness,  throughout  which, 
were  interspersed  flourishing  towns  and  villages. 
This  state  of  the  country  was  a  type  of  the  medi- 
cal profession.  The  large  majority  of  the  physi- 
cians were  uneducated  and  unskilful.  This  was 
true  with  respect  to  all  of  New  Hampshire,  except 


Portsmouth  and  its  vicinity,  as  well  as  the  neigh- 
boring state  of  Vermont.  There  were  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  respectable  for  their  talents  and  at- 
tainments, scattered  over  this  region ;  but  they 
were  few  when  compared  with  the  whole  number. 
This  state  of  his  favorite  profession  was  painful  to 
the  benevolent  and  enterprising  mind  of  Dr.  Smith. 
Instead  of  merely  taking  advantage  of  it,  to  elevate 
himself  by  the  ignorance  of  others,  he  early  enga- 
ged, with  his  usual  vigor,  to  correct  it.  The  most 
obvious  and  effectual  means  to  remedy  this  evil, 
was  to  furnish  those  who  were  about  to  enter  upon 
the  profession,  with  an  opportunity  of  obtaining  a 
correct  professional  education.  To  accomplish  this 
object,  he  projected  the  plan  of  a  Medical  Institu- 
tion in  connexion  with  Dartmouth  College,  located 
at  Hanover  in  New  Hampshire.  The  plan  was 
soon  completed,  and  Dr.  Smith  was  appointed  pro- 
fessor of  medicine.  For  several  years  the  business 
of  instruction  in  the  various  branches  of  Medicine 
and  Surgery,  as  well  as  the  auxiliary  sciences, 
was  performed  by  him  alone.  To  qualify  himself 
more  thoroughly  for  this  employment,  which  he 
probably  foresaw  was  to  occupy  a  large  portion 
of  his  future  life,  he  determined  to  derive  larger 
stores  of  knowledge  from  what  had  been  long  con- 
sidered as  the  fountain  of  medical  science;  the 
school  of  Edinburgh.  He  accordingly  left  a  prac- 
tice which  had  then  become  lucrative,  and  again 
became  a  pupil,  seeking  instruction  from  those  who 
were  well  qualified  to  give  it.    He  spent  about  a  year 

2 


10 

in  Great  Britain,  partly,  in  attending  a  full  course 
of  the  Medical  Lectures  in  Edinburgh,  where  the 
elder  Monro  and  Dr.  Black  were  then  active  teach- 
ers ;  and  partly,  in  witnessing  the  practice  of  the 
hospitals  in  London.  That  this  visit  was  full  of  in- 
terest and  improvement  to  him  cannot  be  doubted. 
He  was  perhaps  in  the  best  state  to  be  improved  by 
it.  He  was  of  mature  years,  had  studied  and  prac- 
tised enough  to  know,  not  only  in  general  what 
every  physician  should  learn,  but,  what  in  particu- 
lar was  necessary  for  him ;  and  he  was  ardent  and 
zealous  in  the  cause  of  his  profession.  His  course, 
after  his  return  to  his  native  country,  was  one  of 
almost  unrivalled  success.  The  medical  school, 
which  he  was  the  means  of  establishing,  flourished 
in  a  high  degree,  under  his  auspices,  and  those  of 
the  able  professors  who  were,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  associated  with  him.  The  number  of  pupils, 
which  for  several  years  after  the  establishment  of  the 
school,  was  about  twenty,  gradually  increased,  so 
that  for  many  of  the  last  years  of  his  connexion 
with  it,  the  average  number  was  not  far  from  sixty. 
These,  upon  the  completion  of  their  education, 
were  scattered  over  the  neighboring  parts  of  New 
Hampshire  and  Vermont,  and  other  more  distant 
places  in  New  England.  They  gradually  occupied 
the  stations,  rendered  vacant  by  the  death  of  the 
older  members  of  the  profession,  and  by  the  loss  of 
business  of  those  who  were  incompetent.  Thus, 
that  portion  of  the  country  became  filled  with  a 
race  of  young,  enterprising,  intelligent  physicians. 


11 

who  all  justly  looked  up  to  Dr.  Smith  as  their  friend 
and  professional  father.  This,  together  with  his 
deservedly  high  and  continually  increasing  reputa- 
tion, as  a  kind,  attentive,  and  skilful  Physician  and 
Surgeon,  necessarily  drew  upon  him  a  vast  amount 
of  business.  Every  Physician,  especially  all  who 
had  been  his  pupils,  desired  him  as  their  counsellor : 
the  sick  and  the  friends  of  the  sick,  looked  to  him 
as  their  last  resort  in  all  cases  of  difficulty. 

The  labor  which  he  endured  in  traversing,  for 
the  most  part  on  horseback,  such  an  extensive  coun- 
try, then,  in  part,  almost  a  wilderness,  over  moun- 
tainous regions,  and  roads  which  were  often  nearly 
impassable,  at  every  season,  and  in  every  vicissitude 
of  weather ;  the  good  which  he  accomplished,  in  af- 
fording advice  and  instruction,  and  by  imparting  a 
portion  of  his  own  vigor  and  energy  to  the  younger 
members  of  the  profession,  as  well  as  the  more  di- 
rect benefit  which  he  afibrded  to  the  sick  and  dis- 
tressed, can  scarcely  be  estimated. 

Thus  he  continued  his  laborious  and  successful 
exertions  in  the  business  of  instruction  at  Hanover, 
and  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  that  vicini- 
ty, until  the  autumn  of  1813.  At  this  time,  he  ac- 
cepted the  invitation,  which  had  been  previously 
given  him,  to  occupy  the  chair  of  a  Professor,  in 
the  Medical  Institution  of  Yale  College,  then  just 
established  in  this  city.  From  that  time  to  the 
present,  he  has  delivered  an  annual  course  of  lec- 
tures, on  the  Theory  and  Practice  of  Physic  and 
Surgery,  to  the  class  of  Medical  Students  in  this 


12 

Institution.  Since  that  period,  lie  has  also  deliv- 
ered a  course  of  lectures  on  the  same  branches, 
at  Dartmouth  College ;  one  at  the  Vermont  Uni- 
versity in  Burlington;  and  two  at  the  recently 
established  and  flourishing  Medical  Institution  of 
Brunswick  College  in  Maine.  To  trace  the  career 
of  Dr.  vSmith,  as  an  instructor,  and  as  a  prac- 
titioner of  Physic  and  Surgery,  since  his  removal 
to  this  city,  would  be  only  to  repeat  the  account 
which  has  been  given  of  him,  while  residing  in 
Hanover.  To  this  place  have  resorted  for  many 
years  past,  from  seventy  to  ninety  young  men ;  and 
it  is  no  injustice  to  Dr.  Smith's  associates  to  say, 
that  a  principal  object  has  been,  to  learn  from  his 
wisdom  and  experience,  the  practical  parts  of  their 
profession.  Here,  the  sick  and  unfortunate,  from 
every  part  of  the  country,  have  collected,  to  re- 
ceive the  benefit  of  his  skill.  In  addition  to  his 
practice  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  he  has  been 
called  to  visit,  professionally,  every  county,  and  al- 
most every  town  in  this  state,  as  well  as  many  more 
distant  places  in  the  neighboring  states.  Thus  his 
hfe  has  been  one  continued  scene  of  active,  labori- 
ous and  useful  exertion. 

Such  as  he  has  been  for  many  years  past,  so  use- 
ful, so  honored  and  so  beloved,  we  fondly  hoped  he 
might  continue  to  be,  for  many  succeeding  years. 
But  alas !  our  hopes  are  blasted.  The  last  dread 
summons  has  reached  him ;  his  spirit  has  ascended 
to  him  who  gave  it,  and  his  body  must  return  to 
the  dust  from  which  it  sprung.     By  this  melan- 


13 

choly  event,  a  bereaved  family  is  called  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  a  kind  and  affectionate  husband,  a  ten- 
der, indulgent  and  well  beloved  parent ;  the  insti- 
tution with  which  he  was  connected,  a  chief  pillar 
and  support ;  the  medical  profession,  a  father  and 
a  friend ;  the  poor,  the  sick  and  the  distressed,  a 
means  of  consolation  and  relief,  and  the  community 
at  large,  a  distinguished  benefactor. 

The  story  of  his  sickness  and  death  will  be  brief 
About  the  middle  of  July  last,  he  was  seized  with  a 
severe  illness,  which  after  a  short  continuance,  left 
him,  but  in  a  very  debilitated  state.  From  this 
state  his  friends  perceived  with  alarm  that  he  did 
not  entirely  recover.  He  continued  to  be  weak, 
with  occasional  attacks  of  illness,  through  the  re- 
mainder of  the  summer  and  autumnal  months. 
Though  enfeebled  in  body,  his  mind  retained  its 
usual  vigor  and  activity,  and  unwilling  to  yield  to 
what  he  probably  considered  a  trivial  complaint,  he 
continued,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  days,  his  la- 
borious employments.  No  considerable  alteration 
in  tne  state  of  his  health  appeared,  until  about  four 
weeks  since,  when  he  was  attacked  with  a  severe 
influenza.  This  was  accompanied  and  followed,  by 
a  painful  and  vertiginous  aflection  of  the  head.  By 
the  use  of  remedies  these  symptoms  were  allevia- 
ted. On  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  the  13th  inst.  he 
first  perceived  a  slight  numbness  of  the  left  hand, 
with  a  trifling  indistinctness  in  his  articulation. 
These  symptoms  of  paralysis  gradually  increased, 
imtil  the  morning  of  the  26th  inst.  when  the  powers 


14 

of  life  became  exhausted,  and  at  6  o'clock,  in  the 
67th  year  of  his  age,  he  slept  the  sleep  of  death. 

That  our  deceased  friend  was  no  ordinary  man, 
the  brief  story  of  his  life  already  told,  most  con- 
clusively proves.  In  early  life  he  was  a  poor  boy, 
in  a  comparatively  obscure  village,  with  a  limited 
education,  and  still  more  limited  means  of  advan- 
cing it.  Thus  he  remained,  until  past  the  period 
when  most  men  are  fixed  in  their  situation  for  life. 
At  this  time  his  mind  received  a  new  impulse.  He 
resolved  to  render  himself  useful  and  distinguished. 
Having  chosen  his  profession,  he  entered  at  once, 
with  the  decision  which  marked  his  character 
through  life,  upon  the  work  of  preparing  himself 
for  it.  The  means  of  acquiring  an  education  were 
furnished  almost  entirely  by  his  own  exertions.  He 
appears  for  many  years,  to  have  labored  to  acquire 
property,  only  to  expend  it  in  advancing  his  knowl- 
edge of  literature  and  medicine.  Following  this 
purpose  with  untiring  zeal,  he  obtained  a  medical 
education,  such  as  was  then  almost  unknown  in 
New  England.  With  the  same  zeal,  act  vity  and 
intelligence,  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  subsequently  upon  the  business  of 
instruction.  By  pursuing  this  course,  his  reputa- 
tion gradually  increased,  until  he  became  more  ex- 
tensively known,  than  any  other  m  dical  man  in 
New  England.  Indeed  it  is  doubted  whether  any 
other  man  in  New  England,  of  any  profession,  pos- 
sessed so  large  a  number  of  personal  acquaintances 
and  friends. 


15 

His  acquaintance  was  not  only  extensive,  but 
reached  to  every  rank  in  society.  The  poor  knew 
him  as  their  benefactor ;  the  sick,  as  their  skilful, 
attentive  physician ;  the  rich,  were  honored  by  his 
society ;  and  the  wise  and  the  good,  received  him 
as  their  friend  and  companion. 

At  the  same  time  his  influence  over  medical  lit- 
erature was  equally  extensive.  This  influence  was 
exerted,  through  his  large  acquaintance  among 
medical  men,  by  his  advice  and  example,  as  well  as 
more  directly  through  the  medium  of  the  various 
medical  schools,  which  were  favored  with  his  in- 
structions. By  means  of  his  influence  thus  exert- 
ed, he  eflfected,  over  a  large  extent  of  country,  a 
great  and  salutary  change  in  the  medical  profes- 
sion. The  assertion,  that  he  has  done  more  for  the 
improvement  of  Physic  and  Surgery  in  New  Eng- 
land, than  any  other  man,  will,  by  no  one,  be  deem- 
ed invidious.  If  the  accomplishment  of  objects  so 
important,  with  means  so  limited ;  the  raising  and 
sustaining  so  high  and  extensive  a  reputation,  from 
so  humble  an  origin;  the  advancing  in  such  a  de- 
gree, one  of  the  liberal  professions,  over  so  large  a 
country,  be  not  marks  of  strong  native  talent,  fos- 
tered by  industry,  I  know  not  where  indications  of 
such  talent  can  be  found. 

To  form  a  correct  opinion  of  the  character  of 
Dr.  Smith,  it  will  be  proper  to  view  him  in  the  va^ 
rious  relations  which  he  sustained. 

As  a  physician  and  surgeon,  he  early  attained  a 
high  rank ;  a  rank  which  he  held  through  life.    The 


16 

present  is  neither  the  place,  nor  the  occasion  to  in- 
quire into  his  opinions  upon  medical  and  surgical 
subjects,  nor  upon  his  mode  of  practice.  (See  iNote.) 
It  may  however  be  proper,  as  illustrative  of  his 
character,  to  investigate  those  qualities  of  his  mind 
and  habits  of  life,  which  raised  him  to  this  elevated 
station. 

The  first  faculty  of  his  mind  which  I  mention, 
was  a  keen,  discriminating  inquisitiveness  into  eve- 
ry thing  submitted  to  his  inspection.  Nothing  pass- 
ed before  him  unseen  or  unheeded.  This  quality, 
which  in  a  weak  mind  is  mere  inquisitiveness,  exer- 
cised to  gratify  an  idle  curiosity,  is,  in  a  strong 
mind,  a  principle  of  rational  enquiry,  seeking  in 
every  direction,  for  information  to  be  applied  to 
some  valuable  purpose.  By  the  continual  exercise 
of  this  quality,  ripened  into  a  habit  of  steady,  fixed 
observation,  he  collected  in  his  mind,  not  only  the 
outlines  of  the  diseases  with  which  man  is  afflicted, 
but  all  the  minute  circumstances,  relative  to  their 
causes,  rise,  progress  and  termination ;  and  the  ef- 
fect of  remedies  upon  them  in  their  various  stages. 

Another  faculty  of  his  mind  was  a  memory  high- 
ly retentive.  This  is  so  nearly  allied  to  the  habit 
of  observation  just  mentioned,  and  so  certain  is  it 
that  whatever  we  observe  minutely,  is  long  remem- 
bered, that  we  are  not  surprised  to  find  them  so  of- 
ten associated  in  the  same  person.  With  him  eve- 
ry fact  which  he  observed,  every  truth  which  he 
heard  stated,  appeared  to  be  impressed  indelibly 
upon  his  mind.     In  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he 


17 

would  relate  with  wonderful  accuracy,  not  only  the 
great,  but  also  the  minute  events  which  he  had^vit- 
nessed.  Especially,  he  remembered  the  diseases 
which  he  had  seen,  in  all  their  varieties ;  the  surgi- 
cal operations  which  he  had  performed,  and  the 
causes  requiring  their  performance,  with  all  the 
attendant  circumstances  of  person,  time  and  place. 
By  the  aid  of  this  faculty,  his  mind  became  a  store- 
house, well  filled  with  facts  suited  to  his  necessities. 
From  it  he  could,  at  will,  draw  forth  materials  to 
guide  him  in  his  practice ;  to  confirm  and  to  illus- 
trate his  opinions. 

Another  faculty,  which  contributed  more  than 
either  of  the  foregoing  to  his  eminence,  was  the 
power  of  reducing  all  the  knowledge,  which  he 
acquired,  whether  from  reading  or  observation, 
to  some  useful  practical  purpose.  This  is  opposed 
to  mere  speculation.  It  does  not  enquire  into 
matters  which  have  no  practical  bearing  upon 
the  happiness  of  man;  but  it  observes  all  things 
as  they  now  exist,  in  the  present  age,  and  in  this 
country.  It  looks  upon  the  evils  now  to  be  rem- 
edied, and  the  blessings  now  to  be  enjoyed.  It 
leads  the  physician,  to  view  diseases  and  acci- 
dents, as  they  present  themselves  to  his  own  eyes ; 
and  to  summon  together  all  the  information  and 
every  fact  which  he  possesses,  to  bear  upon  the 
case  immediately  before  him.  This  faculty  is  fa- 
miliarly called  plain  common  sense.  It  was  pos- 
sessed in  a  high  degree  by  Dr.  Smith,  in  relation 
to  all  subjects  connected  with  his  profession.     The 

3 


18 

same  faculty  was  illustriously  displayed,  in  the  lives 
of  Washington,  Franklin,  Sherman,  Dwight  and 
Whitney. 

Another  faculty  possessed  by  the  deceased,  and 
which  aided  him  much  in  his  successful  career,  was 
an  undaunted  moral  courage.  The  physician  of- 
ten feels  it  to  be  his  duty  to  apply  a  powerful  rem- 
edy, and  the  surgeon  to  perform  a  painful  and  haz- 
ardous operation,  in  cases  where  he  can  give  no 
positive  assurances  of  their  success.  The  timid 
man  shrinks  from  such  high  responsibility,  and  suf- 
fers his  patient  to  be  destroyed  by  disease.  Such 
was  not  Dr.  Smith.  Having  satisfied  himself  what 
course  was  best  for  his  patient,  he  honestly  advis- 
ed, and  fearlessly  pursued  it ;  regardless  of  the  cen- 
sure which  might  follow,  should  it  prove  unsuc- 
cessful. With  him  there  was  no  hesitation,  no 
wavering  between  duty  and  expediency ;  between 
the  welfare  of  his  patient  and  his  own  reputation. 
This  conduct,  in  one  who  valued  reputation  so 
highly,  is  the  strongest  proof  of  the  existence  of  that 
courage  of  the  mind,  so  much  more  noble,  and  so 
much  more  rarely  found,  than  mere  physical  valor. 

To  these  intellectual  qualities,  were  added  others 
of  a  moral  nature,  which  facilitated  his  progress, 
and  rendered  it  more  successful.  I  allude  to  the 
kindness,  assiduity,  and  delicacy  with  which  he 
treated  his  patients.  In  him  kindness  was  a  natu- 
ral feeling,  springing  out  directly  from  the  benev- 
olence of  his  disposition.  This  feeling,  he  doubt- 
less cultivated  from  a  knowledge  of   the  effects 


19 

which  its  expression  produces,  in  alleviating  the 
distress,  as  well  of  the  body  as  the  mnid.  In  all 
his  intercourse  with  the  sick,  the  kindness  of  his 
heart  beamed  upon  his  countenance,  and  flowed 
forth  from  his  lips.  Their  faces  brightened,  and 
their  spirits  were  roused  at  his  approach,  not  more 
by  the  relief  which  they  expected,  than  by  the 
kindness  with  which  it  was  afibrded. 

The  assiduity  of  his  attention  to  patients  dan- 
gerously sick,  was  unremitted.  He  watched  at 
their  bedside  by  day  and  by  night,  administering 
to  all  their  wants,  and  performing  the  offices  of  a 
kind  friend,  as  well  as  of  a  skilful  physician. 

The  esteem  and  respect  which  he  entertained  for 
the  virtuous  female  character,  and  the  purity  and 
delicacy  of  his  conduct  towards  those  who  possess- 
ed it,  rendered  him  highly  acceptable  to  all  such 
as  their  physician.  The  continual  exercise  of  these 
feelings,  gained  for  him  at  once  their  confidence 
and  esteem. 

As  an  instructor,  the  reputation  of  Dr.  Smith 
was  high,  from  the  time  he  began  the  business  of 
instruction.  Of  the  method  which  he  adopted  in 
relation  to  this  subject,  in  the  earlier  part  of  his 
life,  I  have  little  information.  The  facts  however, 
that  for  many  years,  he  gave  instruction  upon  all 
the  branches  of  Medical  and  Surgical  Science; 
that  this  instruction  was  acceptable  to  classes  of 
intelligent  young  men ;  and  that  many  who  were 
thus  instructed,  have  become  eminent  in  their  pro- 
fession, prove  not  only  versatility  of  talent,  but  va- 


20 

riety  and  extent  of  information,  with  a  happy  meth- 
od of  communicating  it.  His  mode  of  communi- 
cating instruction,  since  his  connexion  with  the 
institution  in  this  place,  has  been  simple,  natural 
and  unaffected.  He  sought  no  aid  from  an  artifi- 
cial style,  but  merely  poured  forth,  in  the  plain 
language  of  enlightened  conversation,  the  treasures 
of  his  wisdom  and  experience.  He  occupied  but 
little  time  with  the  theories  and  opinions  of  other 
men,  referring  to  books,  only  for  the  facts  which  they 
contain;  nor  did  he  often  indulge  in  theoretic  specu- 
lations of  his  own ;  but  gave  principally  the  results 
of  his  practice  and  experience.  His  object  was  to 
instil  into  the  minds  of  his  pupils  the  leading  prin- 
ciples of  their  profession ;  not  entering  fully  into 
the  details  of  the  practice,  but  leaving  it  for  them 
to  apply  these  principles  to  individual  cases  as  they 
should  present  themselves.  These  principles  he 
would  illustrate,  by  appropriate  cases,  furnished 
by  a  long  course  of  practice;  related  always  in  an 
impressive,  and  often  in  a  playful  manner,  so  as 
at  once  to  gain  the  attention,  and  impress  the  truth 
illustrated,  upon  the  mind.  He  often  urged  upon 
them  the  necessity  of  correct  moral  deportment,  of 
industrious  habits,  and  especially  of  forming  a 
judgment  for  themselves,  concerning  the  cases 
which  were  presented  to  them. 

He  endeavored  to  inspire  them,  both  by  pre- 
cept and  example,  with  a  love  of  their  profession, 
with  activity  in  the  practice  of  it,  and  a  zeal  for 
the  promotion  of  its  best  interests. 


21 

At  the  same  time  that  he  communicated  to  his 
pupils  instruction,  he  gained  their  aftection  by  the 
suavity  of  his  manners,  and  by  a  course  of  conduct 
towards  them,  by  which  they  were  satisfied  that  he 
ardently  desired  their  best  interests.  Of  all  who 
have  been  instructed  by  him,  the  number  is  small 
of  those  who  were  not  his  personal  friends. 

The  various  relations  of  life  were  sustained  by 
Dr.  Smith  in  an  exemplary  manner.  As  a  citizen, 
the  same  spirit  which  prompted  him  to  enlist  in  the 
service  of  his  country,  when  engaged  in  war,  led 
him  to  support,  by  his  influence,  her  free  institu- 
tions in  time  of  peace :  as  a  lover  of  good  order,  he 
rejoiced  in  the  enaction  and  the  execution  of  whole- 
some laws  and  regulations ;  and  as  a  friend  of  mo- 
rality, he  discountenanced  vice  in  every  form.  The 
purity  of  his  life,  it  is  believed,  arose  not  so  much 
from  the  restraints  of  society,  as  from  a  purity  of 
mind,  which  remained  unsullied.  So  far  as  per- 
sonal observation  enables  me  to  speak,  he  regarded 
the  institutions  and  the  ministers  of  religion,  with 
the  highest  reverence.  With  regard  to  subjects  of 
this  nature,  it  is  believed,  that  his  last  days  were 
his  best  days. 

In  his  relations  to  his  fellow  men,  there  are  par- 
ticular traits  of  his  character,  which  ought  not  to 
pass  unnoticed.  He  possessed  strong  social  feel- 
ings and  habits.  Accustomed  from  early  life  to 
the  society  of  men  in  every  station,  he  entered 
readily  into  free  and  unreserved  intercourse  with 
all.     In  companies  of  every  kind,  learned  or  un- 


2-2 

learned,  polished  or  otherwise,  his  free  conversa- 
tion, his  fund  of  anecdote,  and  the  acuteness  of  his 
remarks  upon  all  subjects,  whether  relating  to  the 
common  affairs  of  life,  or  the  more  important  con- 
cerns of  morals  and  literature,  rendered  him  a  wel- 
come guest.  His  manners,  which  were  free,  yet 
unpresuming,  and  unshackled  by  the  forms  of  cer- 
emonial observances,  were  such  as  to  impose  no  in- 
convenient restraints  upon  others  or  upon  himself 
No  one  delighted  more  in  social  intercourse  with 
his  friends,  and  in  a  free  interchange  of  feelings 
and  opinions  with  them.  This  was  one  of  the  plea- 
sures of  his  life,  and  this  endeared  him  to  those 
with  whom  he  associated. 

Dr.  Smith  was  eminently  a  benevolent  man.  He 
regarded  man  as  his  brother,  and  when  in  distress, 
as  a  brother  he  afforded  him  relief  No  one,  it  is 
presumed,  ever  heard  him  say  to  the  destitute.  Be 
ye  warmed  and  be  ye  clothed,  without  at  the  same 
time  furnishing  the  means  of  relieving  their  neces- 
sities. That  his  charity  was  always  discrimina- 
ting is  not  probably  true.  It  was  the  charity  of 
the  heart,  and  not  of  calculation;  and  often  his 
most  valuable  benefactions  were  rendered  in  the 
course  of  professional  exertion. 

The  mere  distribution  of  a  portion  of  his  property 
to  those  who  were  in  need,  was  indeed,  the  least 
part  of  his  beneficence.  It  is  no  difficult  matter 
for  those  who  recieive,  as  a  compensation  for  their 
labor,  an  abundant  supply  of  all  they  need,  unless 
their  hearts  are  fast  bound  by  the  chains  of  avarice. 


23 

to  distribute  a  small  portion  of  their  substance  to 
those  who  are  in  want.  Indeed  the  selfish  man  of- 
ten does  this  to  rid  himself  of  troublesome  importu- 
nity. These  merely,  of  their  abundance,  cast  into 
the  treasury.  It  is  a  far  nobler  charity,  to  relieve 
distress  by  personal  exertions  and  sacrifices.  The 
man,  who  to  alleviate  or  remove  the  misery  of  his 
fellow  men,  exposes  himself  to  cold,  hunger  and 
fatigue,  in  visiting  the  abodes  of  wretchedness,  pen- 
ury, and  even  of  guilt ;  who,  when  there,  listens 
with  sympathizing  attention  to  the  story  of  sickness, 
told  by  its  miserable  inmates ;  relieves  by  personal 
attentions  their  immediate  sufferings,  and  cheers 
their  hearts  with  assurances  of  future  assistance, 
exhibits  the  fairest  specimen  of  human  benevolence. 
Surely,  upon  the  head  of  such  a  man,  the  blessing 
of  many  ready  to  perish,  will  fall. 

The  sketch,  thus  feebly  drawn,  exhibits  one  fea- 
ture in  the  character  of  our  deceased  friend.  To 
him,  the  sick  and  suffering,  whether  rich  or  poor, 
were  equally  objects  of  attention  and  compassion. 
He  regarded  all  alike,  the  rich,  the  poor,  the  beg- 
gar and  the  outcast,  when  his  services  were  requir- 
ed to  relieve  their  distresses.  This  with  him  was 
a  matter  of  feeling,  rather  than  the  result  of  medi- 
tation. He  did  not  serve  the  poor,  that  he  might 
gain  the  favor  of  the  rich,  but  to  fulfil  the  desires  of 
his  own  benevolent  heart.  He  acted  in  accordance 
with  an  opinion  which  I  have  more  than  once  heard 
him  express,  that  the  great  object  of  the  intercourse 
of  man  with  his  fellow  men,  should  be  to  do  them  good. 


24 

Nor  was  his  benevolence  confined  in  its  exercise, 
to  the  sick  and  the  poor.  It  led  him  to  rejoice  in, 
and  to  promote  by  his  influence  and  exertions,  all 
plans,  calculated,  in  his  view,  to  promote  the  best 
interests  of  his  fellow  men.  The  interests  of  litera- 
ture and  sound  morality,  received  his  cordial  and 
unvaried  support.  In  regard  to  objects  of  this  kind 
he  indulged  in  no  narrow,  local  prejudices ;  but 
looked  abroad  with  an  enlarged  view,  to  the  wel- 
fare of  all,  both  of  the  present  and  future  genera- 
tions. 

From  the  preceding  statement,  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  Dr.  Smith  performed  with  fidelity  the 
various  relations  of  domestic  life.  That  benevo- 
lence which  was  so  active  and  so  expansive,  could 
not  but  shed  its  brightest  and  warmest  rays,  upon 
those  who  were  the  nearest  and  dearest  to  his  heart. 
Why  should  I  speak  of  him  as  a  kind,  affectionate 
husband,  or  as  a  tender,  indulgent  and  judicious 
parent,  who  bore  good  will  to  all  mankind  ?  Those 
towards  whom  he  sustained  these  endearing  rela- 
tions, are  witnesses  of  the  manner  in  which  he  ful- 
filled the  duties  which  they  require.  The  affection 
and  respect  which  they  manifested  towards  him 
while  living,  and  the  mourning  and  tears  which  ac- 
company his  departure,  bear  testimony,  that  as  he 
was  abroad,  so  he  was  at  home,  the  kind  compan- 
ion, instructor  and  friend. 

The  life  of  a  man  so  illustrious  as  our  deceased 
friend,  imperfectly  portrayed  as  it  has  been,  is  full 
of  instruction.     It  teaches  the  young  who  are  just 


25 

entering  upon  the  busy  scenes  of  life,  especially  you, 
my  young  friends,  who  are  preparing  to  engage  in 
the  same  arduous  profession,  the  value  of  enterprise, 
industry,  and  benevolence.  By  the  exercise  of  these, 
he  rose  from  obscurity  to  eminence.  What  hinders 
that  you,  by  the  judicious  use  of  the  same  means, 
should  not  accomplish  the  same  end.  All  cannot 
be  equally  eminent,  but  all  may  render  themselves 
highly  useful  and  respected. 

It  teaches  all  the  folly  of  selfishness.  He  sought 
nothing  for  himself,  but  the  reputation  of  doing 
good.  This  he  obtained,  as  all  others  may,  by  de- 
serving it;  and  with  it,  received  all  that  he  desired 
of  this  world's  goods,  the  esteem,  respect,  and  af- 
fection of  a  large  and  enlightened  community;  the 
approbation  of  the  wise  and  the  good,  wherever  he 
was  known;  and  the  assurance  that  his  memory 
will  remain  a  noble  inheritance  to  his  posterity. 

If  his  life  is  instructive,  not  less  so  is  his  death. 
It  adds  one  more  lesson  to  the  millions  which  have 
preceded  it,  teaching  us  the  slight  tenure  by  which 
we  hold  our  mortal  existence;  and  the  necessity  of 
preparing  for  that  event,  which  happeneth  unto  all. 
The  wise,  the  great,  the  good,  and  the  useful,  are 
removed  in  rapid  succession,  and  why  are  we  suf- 
fered to  remain.-^  Why !  but  through  the  good  pleas- 
ure of  him  who  waiteth  to  be  gracious. 


NOTE. 

Although  it  would  have  been  obviously  improper  to  enter,  in  tlie  body  of 
this  discourse,  upon  a  consideration  of  the  medical  opinions  and  the  modes  of 
practice  of  Dr.  Smith,  a  few  remarks  upon  them,  may  not,  in  this  place  be 
unacceptable.  Upon  these  subjects,  I  have  no  means  of  information  at  hand, 
previous  to  his  removal  to  this  city.  The  few  remarks  which  are  made,  must 
therefore  be  considered  as  confined  to  the  last  thirteen  years  of  his  life. 

All  who  have  witnessed  the  practice  of  Dr,  Smith,  must  have  remarked  the 
rapidity  and  decision,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  general  accuracy,  with  which 
he  formed  an  opinion  on  the  cases  of  disease  submitted  to  him.  He  appeared 
to  strip  diseases  of  all  their  adventitious  attendants,  and  to  seize,  at  once,  upon 
their  important  and  essential  phenomena.  This  process  was  often  so  rapid,  as 
to  resemble  more  the  effect  of  intuition,  than  the  regular  deduction  from  a 
train  of  reasoning. 

With  the  same  rapidity,  he  saw,  as  it  were  with  a  glance,  the  course  proper 
to  be  pursued,  and  with  equal  promptness,  applied  the  appropriate  remedies. 
This  course  of  practice,  can  by  no  means  be  held  out  as  an  example  to  the 
young  and  inexperienced ;  nor  is  it  perhaps  the  best  mode  to  be  pursued  by 
any  one.  It  is  justifiable  only  in  those,  whose  habits  of  observation  and  dis- 
crimination, have  been  matured,  by  a  long  course  of  enlightened  experience. 
Even  such  would  escape  occasional  errors,  by  more  careful  deliberation. 

The  practice  of  Dr.  Smith  in  the  treatment  of  acute  diseases  was  essentially 
the  same,  as  that  of  the  other  respectable  physicians  of  New  England;  varied 
somewhat  perhaps,  by  his  notions  of  the  nature  of  typhus,  the  prevailing 
fever  of  the  country.  What  these  notions  were,  and  what  his  practice  found- 
ed upon  them  was,  he  has  fully  explained,  in  his  treatise  upon  typhus  fever, 
published  a  few  yeais  since.  If  he  had  any  peculiarities  in  the  treatment  of 
other  acute  diseases,  than  pure  typhus,  they  consisted,  in  discarding  the  use  of 
remedies  comparatively  inert,  and  in  employing  those  which  are  more  power- 
ful and  effective.  He  often  asserted  that  the  use  of  medicines,  which,  in 
common  language,  if  they  do  no  good,  will  do  no  harm,  is  usually  the  resort  of 
timidity  or  ignorance  ;  and  that  the  physician  who  knows  not  when  and  how, 
to  apply  or  to  withhold  the  more  powerful  articles  of  the  materia  medica,  was 
unfit  for  his  profession. 

In  the  treatment  of  chronic  diseases,  energetic  remedies,  especially  such  as 
acted  powerfully  upon  the  stomach  and  the  other  organs  of  digestion,  were 
more  especially  resorted  to  by  him.  To  this  course,  he  appears  to  have  been 
led,  partly  by  his  own  reflections  upon  the  nature  and  causes  of  most  chronic 
diseases,  and  partly,  by  the  situation  in  which  he  was  placed,  with  respect  to 
patients  of  this  class. 

Many  of  them  consulted  him  after  they  had  employed  all  the  ordinary 
means  of  medication.  Others  still  consulted  him  from  such  a  distance,  as  pre- 
cluded him  from  watching  over  the  tardy  effects  of  ordinary  remedies.  Both 
these  circumstances  combined,  led  him  to  the  administration  of  full  doses  of 


28 

the  more  effective  medicines,  with  the  view  of  producing  speedy  and  great 
changes  in  the  organs  diseased. 

For  the  duties  of  a  practical  surgeon,  Dr.  Smith  was  eminently  qualified, 
and  upon  the  manner  in  which  he  performed  these  duties,  his  reputation  must, 
in  a  great  measure,  ultimately  rest.  To  these,  he  brought  a  mind  enterprising, 
but  not  rash ;  anxious,  yet  calm,  in  deliberation;  bold,  yet  cautious,  in  opera- 
tion. His  first  object  was,  to  save  his  patients,  if  possible,  from  the  necessity 
of  an  operation ;  and  when  this  could  be  no  longer  avoided,  to  enter  upon  its 
performance,  without  reluctance  or  hesitation.  In  his  operations,  he  was  calm, 
collected  and  cautious. 

He  manifested  no  desire  to  gain  the  reputation  of  a  rapid  operator :  a  reputa- 
tion, so  ardently,  and  it  is  to  be  feared,  so  unfortunately  sought  for,  by  many 
surgeons  of  the  present  day.  He  who  commences  an  important  operation,  with 
his  eye  upon  the  minute  hand  of  a  watch,  starts  in  a  race  against  time,  in 
which  the  life  of  his  patient  is  the  stake,  and  often  the  forfeit.  The  true  rule 
for  the  surgeon  is,  sat,  citd  si  sat  bend.  Neither  did  he  make  any  display,  in 
the  course  of  his  operations,  to  gain  the  applause  of  bystanders.  Hence  there 
was  no  formidable  array  of  instruments ;  no  ostentatious  preparation ;  so  well 
calculated  to  excite  the  wonder  of  the  ignorant,  and  to  strike  a  dread  into  the 
mind  of  the  patient.  Every  thing  necessary  was  prepared,  while  all  useless 
parade  was  avoided.  When  engaged  in  an  operation,  his  whole  mind  was 
bent  upon  its  proper  performance.  Every  step  was  carefully  examined,  every 
occurrence  narrowly  watched  ;  and  if  any  thing  unusual  appeared,  he  would 
ask  the  advice  of  those  present,  in  whom  he  had  confidence.  In  such  cases, 
his  promptness  and  decision,  joined  to  what  Chesselden  calls  "  a  mind  that 
was  never  ruffled  nor  disconcerted,"  were  of  singular  utility.  By  the  aid  of 
these,  he  could  look,  with  a  steady  eye,  upon  the  varying  features  of  the  case, 
as  they  rose  to  his  view,  and  adapt  his  measures,  at  once,  to  every  emergency. 
By  this  cautious  mode  of  proceeding,  calculated  to  gain,  not  the  applause  of 
those  who  were  present  on  a  single  occasion,  but  the  enduring  reputation  of  a 
judicious,  skilful  Surgeon,  he  performed  with  great  success,  the  most  important 
operations.  That  his  success  was  great  is  fully  attested  by  the  facts,  that  of 
about  thirty  cases  of  Lithotomy,  only  three  proved  fatal ;  and  that  in  the  course 
of  his  practice,  he  lost  no  patient  of  hemorrhage,  in  consequence  of  an  opera- 
tion, either  direct  or  secondary. 

The  reputation  of  Dr.  Smith  as  a  Surgeon,  it  is  believed,  will  rest,  rather 
upon  his  judgment  in  deciding  upon  the  propriety  of  an  operation,  and  upon 
his  skill  in  performing  it,  than  upon  any  great  improvement  in  operative  surge- 
ry. The  improvements  which  he  made,  and  they  were  numerous,  consisted 
in  such  as  facilitated  operations  already  known,  rather  than  in  the  invention  of 
thodr  which  were  new.  The  enumeration  of  these  would  be  interesting  only 
to  surgeons,  and  to  these  they  are  generally  known.  In  addition  to  this,  to  Dr. 
Smith  i"  justly  due,  the  credit  of  having  introduced  and  diffused  over  a  large 
partot  New  England,  the  most  correct  practice,  of  all  the  celebrated  surgeons 
of  thp  last  and  the  present  century.  This,  when  the  extensive  and  beneficial 
results  are  considered,  is  no  mean  praise. 


•..v-^^'-i 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

305  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •  Box  9513B0 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

RPtumthis  material  to  the  W^r.ry  frnm  which  it  was  borrowed. 


Series  ti4«a 


